Researchers find a common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease in Asians

Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. and the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan have discovered what to date appears to be the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease worldwide. They believe the majority of people carrying this genetic mutation descend from a common ancestor about 4800 years ago. Their study was published Jan. 9 in the online edition of Parkinsonism and Related Disorders.